(CEDAR CITY, Utah) - On December 10 at 8:30 a.m., 15 volunteer pilots of the Utah Wing of Angel Flight West will depart South Valley Regional Airport on their annual Santa Flight. Their destination is Cedar City, UT, where they will deliver toys, school supplies, books, backpacks and warm clothing to the nearly 600 children at East Elementary.

Cedar area Eagle Scout Candidates Dallin Henrie and Eric Lambert have used this as their Eagle Scout Service Project. They have gathered school supplies, clothing and toys according to the needs of the school. As part of this project, they held a dance for all area high school students.

Eagle Scout Candidates from the Salt Lake area, Caleb Clayton, Alex Wilkerson, Austin Wooley, James McIntyre, and Nolan Coburn have gathered donations as well and will arrive on the planes.

When the planes land, they will be greeted by all the students of East Elementary. Santa, piloting a plane instead of his sleigh, will be the last to land. Volunteers from the Triple Deuce National Guard Unit and Southern Utah University will help unload the planes and transport the donations to the school.

With a fire engine and police escort leading the way, the students, scouts and pilots will then travel to East Elementary for a short assembly.

Since the first Santa Flight in 2000, the members of the Utah Wing have worked with their local communities to gather needed supplies & toys and deliver them to rural communities throughout Utah. Steve Bollinger, AFW UT Wing Leader, Phil Titus and Joanne Brattain, Outreach Coordinators, and the scouts, have worked on this project since September. According to Bollinger, the partnership between AFW and the Scouts has been critical in the success of this project.

As with every Angel Flight mission, the pilots donate their time, talent, airplanes, fuel and operating expenses.

Founded in 1983, Angel Flight West is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges free, non-emergency air transportation in response to health care and other compelling human needs. The Utah Wing has 38 pilots and flies 100+ missions a year within and through Utah. www.angelflightwest.org . www.facebook.com/angelflightwest #